NO team like playing against Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.
Many top teams in Asia have lost to Indonesia in their backyard and understandably, Malaysia do not have a good track record at the Garuda’s fortress.
In 18 meetings at the venue, Malaysia have recorded only four victories since their first encounter at the 1962 Asian Games.
For the record, the Garuda have beaten Malaysia 12 times at the venue while the other two matches ended in draws.
On Thursday, Tan Cheng Hoe’s side will have a chance to record their first victory against Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium since 2004 when they face Simon McMenemy’s team in their opening 2022 World Cup/2023 Asian Cup qualifying match.
Cheng Hoe, however, is unperturbed with Harimau Malaya’s poor track record in Jakarta.
The former international’s only goal is to help his team record a rare victory over Indonesia in their own backyard.
Instead of parking the bus, Cheng Hoe’s side will play possession football and attack in Jakarta.
“When it is an away game, you need to have a solid tactical approach. We will plan accordingly but we will still attack and play possession football.
“Of course, we need to step up in defence and avoid losing possession in an attempt to get a positive result.
“Yes, we have also taken account of fans provoking our players. However, my charges have had experiences playing in a full-capacity stadium, so they know how to handle difficult situations.
“I believe they can overcome all adversities if they just focus on the match,” said Cheng Hoe, whose team have lost twice this season.
Cheng Hoe has studied Indonesia’s style of play and believes they will be aggressive for early goals.
“The pressure from Indonesia will be intense in the opening 20 minutes. They will be looking for early goals. My players need to be assured in absorbing the pressure.
“The secret is to keep possession and regain the ball as quickly as possible when we lose it. This is our Malaysian DNA and my players are adapting well to the system.
“However, the players still need to step up as keeping possession alone is not enough if we do not score goals,” he said.
On Mohamadou Sumareh’s injury, Cheng Hoe said the Gambia-born has made some progress.
“It is a good indication as we need all players to be free from injuries for the qualifiers.
“We still have a few days left to prepare and plan before we head to Jakarta. Everything is going fine,” Cheng Hoe added.